A salt, and battery

[unixronin]

CR123A lithium batteries, specifically.  Anyone on my FL know a good place to buy them online that DOESN'T work out as expensive by the time you pay shipping as just going to a regular brick-and-mortar store?  I just went to buy some replacement batteries for my Inova X0 LED flashlight (which takes two CR123As), and even if I bought four sets, by the time I paid the cheapest shipping offered (USPS priority mail), they're $4.50 a set shipped.  At that price, I might as well buy them at Lowes and not have to wait for them to get here.

Oh, the salt?  In a CR-123 lithium cell, it's most likely manganese dioxide.

Comments

[tomatoe333.livejournal.com]

As sad as it may be, I've found the best prices in Lithium batteries at Walmart and Sam's Club. Evil empire buying power, I guess.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Walmart is democracy in action . . .

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I guess I can see if Costco has them by the box next time we're there.

[fatcook.livejournal.com]

Sorry, Lowes is were we get ours.

[unix-jedi.livejournal.com]

Ya. Surefire.

http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_disp/displ/carfnbr/97/prrfnbr/685/Box-of-12-SureFire-123A-Lithium-Batteries

Eeks. They were $12 + 2 shipping last time I bought some.

But they keep "forever", and that's still a lot cheaper than anyplace in meatspace I've found them.

[unix-jedi.livejournal.com]

Oh, If I recall, I found out about those on a LEO forum.

Some people remarked that they lasted about 80% of what some of the others did (and I've forgotten the brands they said were better). But many people pointed out that those brands were 300% the price, making these still, by far, the best deal.)

I would have 6 of the 12 left, except for the night stage of IDPA a couple of years ago - when several people had flashlights die. And paid me $2 each and were estatic.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

They're $21 for a box of 12 now, before shipping. $1.75 per battery. The best price I've found online is about $1 per battery for 1300mAh or $1.45 each for 1550mAh, which is probably half the price I can get them for at the store, but then the estimated shipping cost is just about equal to the cost of the batteries, which gets me back up into $4-$5 for two as if I'd just picked up a blister pack at Lowes.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

cost of batteries went WAY up lately.

which is why i love rechargeables a lot.

also got away from using cr123s mostly, but i know they have rechargeables for those too. probably worth it at the prices now.

it was actually cost beneficial to goto a flashlight that used AAs and was as bright or brighter than my then favorite EDC cr123 flashlight. i still have a few of those around, and they're worth as emergency lights, but not EDC.


#

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I've seen CR123 lithium rechargables, but their charge density is rather poor compared to LiMnO₂ primary cells, and I understand that to maximize their life, you're never supposed to discharge them beyond 50%. Hard without a battery meter.

[unix-jedi.livejournal.com]

That's not bad - where did you find them for that? I did a Froogal search and didn't see anything like that.

Shipping from SF wasn't that bad, like I said, I thought it was $2 or so, but I haven't had to order recently - still have some left and I've started using a rechargeable streamlight.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Froogle. :) Keywords "lithium 123".